One of the best, funniest and most refreshing shows currently on television

Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), and Charlie (Charlie
Day) are all the owners of an Irish bar in Philadelphia, and "Sunny"
essentially follows their awkward lives - each episode revolving around
some type of political or social issue such as gun control, abortion,
steroids, underage drinking, health care, and the handicapped (just to
touch on a few issues already addressed in the show).

It begs comparison with "Arrested Development," "The Office,"
"Seinfeld" and "South Park" in its broad humor and wit, but it is
completely original in its own right. The pilot was filmed on a low
budget by a few friends and was picked up by FX after wards, so the
show retains its low-budget feel - giving it a gritty, down-to-earth
edge.

"Sunny" does border on the edge of bad taste sometimes (hell, what am I
saying - it crosses the line every time) but it contains enough satire
and wit to get away with it. For example: in one episode Mac and Dennis
decide to pick up girls at an abortion rally. Mac pretends to be
pro-life just so he can be around an attractive woman, whom he ends up
sleeping with. Later, she tells him she's pregnant. "You need to get an
abortion," he says. This type of irony runs throughout every episode.

The banter between the characters in the show is what tends to be
particularly funny. The actors - although novices - are all great.
Charlie Day in particular has me laughing like crazy every episode. And
his interaction with Danny DeVito (who's been brought in for season
two) is hilarious. Season two is more polished so far in terms of the
mechanics of the show - the characters have all been setup now and they
know what they're doing - and in that regard it is seeming to get
better and better with every episode.

You do have to have a very sick sense of humor to like some of this -
DeVito's character, Frank, is the father of Dennis and Dee, and his
reason for being in the show is that he is getting a divorce and wants
to relive his glory days as a youth. He tries to re-ignite a
relationship with an old girlfriend of his from high school - but when
he finds out she's a grandmother and not interested in doing anything
wild, his attention instantly turns to the waitress and he tunes her
out. It's cruel, sick and hilarious. DeVito is playing another ruthless
character (same as in "Taxi" all those years ago) and it works
splendidly.

Overall this was a delightful blast of fresh air - after seeing so many
stale sitcoms, this proved to me that FX really is becoming the new
lead in character-driven comedy-dramas (such as the equally superb
"Rescue Me" which isn't quite as funny, however).

My only hope is that "Sunny" doesn't become so popular that it attracts
controversy and sells out and dumbs down its humor. Right now it's on
par with the early episodes of "South Park" and "SNL" in terms of how
irreverent its humor is - and personally, in my opinion, its plots are
better than most comedy films I've seen within the last few years.

If you want to see something new, different, and funny, check this out.
I have a feeling it could either become huge, like the next "Seinfeld,"
or - more realistically - it will become a cult phenomenon. Either way,
I'll be watching.

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225 out of 266 people found the following review useful:

Pure brilliance

While I am typically not a fan of television, I can't get enough of
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

As a resident of Philadelphia and one who enjoys the more scenic and
luxurious aspects of life here, 'Sunny' doesn't exactly shine a great
light on the city, but it IS without a doubt one of the most brilliant
works of ensemble comedy I have ever seen.

Actually Funny

I've been a big fan of FX ever since my wife coerced me into watching
an episode of Nip/Tuck. I then got sucked into the various other dramas
like Rescue Me, 30 Days, Over There, etc.

I was a bit worried about FX trying to do comedy. I didn't think it
would work out at all.

And yet, I was completely wrong. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a
fantastic show. It's about three guys and a girl that own an Irish pub
in Philly. You might be thinking that you've heard similar plot lines,
but this is completely different.

The show is politically incorrect, vulgar and hilarious. The first
episode deals with racism which is a pretty lofty subject to start
with, but it handles it with ease.

This is by far one of the best comedies on TV. Well worth checking out.

My new favorite show

Now that Arrested Development has been laid to rest (RIP), I have found
the next best thing.

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is different and funny, in a
crossing-moral-lines kind of way. Good for FX that they have the
cojones to put this show on.

How can you not laugh when story lines involve trying to take financial
advantage of a religious miracle, or considering sleeping with your
fiend's mom to get even, or tea-bagging (not the actual act, but, 'nuff
said)?

I can only hope this show stays on the air long enough to gain
sufficient viewers to not get canceled.

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159 out of 198 people found the following review useful:

The best show currently on cable TV!

I have said it before, but one of the joys of summer is watching summer
shows , knowing that they aren't being given even the slightest chance
of survival. In most cases, these shows are being deservingly dumped in
the summer because most of them are terrible. Surprisingly, "It's
Always Sunny in Philadelphia", which premiered earlier this month, is
not terrible. Even though it seemed like it might have been, it ended
up being one of the better shows to come along so far in the 2000s. The
show is about four friends who own a bar in Philadelphia. At first
glance, it doesn't seem like anything special. The owning a bar
scenario has been done several times before in a variety of other
sitcoms including "Cheers" and the recently canceled "Grounded For
Life". However, since the show is more clever and much funnier than the
previous sitcoms who have used the device, one can forgive the lack of
originality.

What makes "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" better than any other of
the sitcoms that are on today is the clever writing. The writing on
sitcoms these days is beyond awful. The writing on "It's Always Sunny
in Philadelphia" is great. In fact, if the show doesn't receive an
Emmmy nomination for writing, there is no justice in the world. The
three episodes that have aired so far have been incredibly well written
and unlike with most sitcoms, the dialogue doesn't seem like typical
sitcom dialogue. The dialogue comes across as natural as opposed to
coming across as forced like on network sitcoms and other cable
comedies. The writers are also the stars and executive producers of the
show, which gives them almost complete control. Let's hope the writing
staff doesn't change. I'd give "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
9/10. It's one of the best shows one is ever likely to see on cable.

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129 out of 158 people found the following review useful:

Great

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is one of the greatest shows on TV
right now. It is daring and hilarious. It was created by three guys on
a budget of less than $200, which I find very admirable because I am
and aspiring actor/writer. Its raucous stories that run the gamut from
cancer to abortion to Nazis to pedophilia are written by the cast.
Their devotion to the show is very evident and I hope we will not lose
this great show to politics of Hollywood. Heading into is second season
I am excited to see what we are going to tackle this summer. I am ready
to be shocked and amazed at the lengths these guys and a girl will go
to to get over. And with Danny Devito joining the show we are really
seeing how "sunny" it is in "Philadelphia"

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116 out of 136 people found the following review useful:

About as close to brilliant as you can get

There are so few television comedies that generate as much humor with
generally unlikable characters, and "Sunny" probably tops the list.
"Strangers With Candy" and "Absolutely Fabulous" come closest to
capturing the laugh-out loud comedy it generates. Part abstract
theatre, part absurdist drama, "Sunny" not only skewers every
hot-button issue imaginable, but barbecues and presents it as a
scrumptuous entree. And the zingers ... "Which one of you fags is my
dad?" and "You might as well call it Rape Bar" are killer. Plus being a
Philly boy myself, the opening montage with images of The Linc and 30th
Street Station are always good for a smile. With "Drawn Together" set
for its impending exit, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is the
reigning TV king of comedy.

Always Sunny - Always Funny

The show is great! I love the edgy humor and how they're addressing
everyday issues and finding the hilarity in them. I think what I enjoy
the most is that they're not tip-toeing around issues, gay, abortion,
underage drinking (no, they're not promoting these, they're just
addressing them). The way they have the real life situations and the
true reactions within a set of friends sets this show apart (Seinfeld
anyone?)...there's no following the lives of multi-millionaire brats as
lead characters (fill in the blank for that show, there's only about 5
on air right now), none of the worn out "the city is going to blow up
unless you catch the bad guy in 5 minutes" plot lines...it's real
situations and almost everyone can relate...and laugh at.

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80 out of 88 people found the following review useful:

The best 'dark comedy' on TV

This is a genuinely funny show, well worth watching, and deserving of
it's high ratings on this site. It's compared to South Park for a
number of reasons, most notably the enthusiasm with which it tackles
socially sensitive issues and assaults them with the most extremist
brands of political incorrectness --- but whereas South Park always
tries to tidy up it's mess and make sure the audience knows the
distinction between right and wrong, this show revels in the depravity
and insanity of it's sociopathy. And it works amazingly well.

Since it's a situational comedy, there's not much to say about it
without giving away the goods, but the actors all work better than any
cast I've seen in a long time. It really seems like half the show is
improvised and that the cast is talented enough to make it work without
a hitch. The first few episodes are definitely the weakest, but still
stronger than just about any comedy out there.